Buoyed by her FCBA debut at the Asylum the French Oscar winner Marion Cotillard looks to finally break through on the British stage as well as she targets Italian model Elisabetta Canalis is a fight that closes the Wembley Arena International Card. Cotillard was punched out by former BBU champion Jessica Schwarz before lasting eight rounds against Gemma Arterton on Halloween's Asylum card and promises to carry on that experience against the Italian model. "Arterton would have destroyed Schwarz and I did much better against her. I don't think this so-called model from Italy will pose any threat to me tonight!"

Meanwhile Elisabetta comes off a very tough loss to Sarah Harding who simply brutalized her back in August so the odds are perhaps against the Italian 34 year old from Sardinia. However like a true Southerner, Canalis promises to give her all and teach the high-profile French actress "a painful lesson." BBU TV's lead reporter Denise van Outen predicts a win for Cotillard tough and the Wembley Arena crowd give the Oscar winner a louder cheer despite Canalis winning the pre-fight attire contest. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the bantamweight division.

Marion Cotillard wearing a one-piece black lingerie outfit with blue, white & red stripes and red gloves. Dark brown hair loose. Elisabetta Canalis wearing a white one-piece with a deep V cut on both sides plus a green & red belt scheme around her hips and she really hangs it out for the lads with that one. Light brown hair in loose waves on the top and some curls on the bottom. One has to wonder how much time she spend in front of the mirror back in the locker room? Black gloves complete the fighting attire.

Round 1:
Cotiilard comes out swinging clearly trying to intimidate her rival and she smacks couple of good jabs to the mouth forcing the Italian back before more hooks target the head but Marion's footowork just lets her down and she nearly loses her balance as Elisabetta circles around her and responds with single strikes on the guard. Marion answers back and they test each other's defence for a while before Cotillard cuts inside and reaches for the midsection, thumping more jabs to the ribcage and pushing the model back to the ropes. However Canalis' footwork enables her to step into safety again and fire back with more single strikes as Cotillard drops her agressive approach and settles for a half-hearted exchange from mid-distance for remainder of the round.

Round 2:
More attacks from Cotillard who once against makes the better start to the round and lands couple of hooks on the liver but Elisabetta counters and whips a cross-hook to the face which skims off the nose, yet Marion doesn't step back and whacks her foe with another jabbing series to the stomach and Canalis is forced to step away. Menacing swings from Cotillard follow and she hassles the Italian around the ring as Canalis doesn't seem keen to fight in close range so early. Either this or she wants the French actress to wear herself out. But Cotillard shows resilience and spikes some straight jabs inside the final minute as Elisabetta's guard initially withstands the test before another hook on the liver really opens her eyes and Marion nods her head in approval as she heads back to her corner.

Round 3:
There's no sign of that famous Italian temper from Canalis who must have her brutal loss against Sarah Harding firmly on the mind but this enables Marion to score more shots to the chest and body early in the third and the single striking response only barely grazes the Oscar girl. Straight jabbing from Cotillard puts more pressure on Canalis' guard but one again she withstands the effort albeit allows Marion to further impress the judges and there's a pattern developing now with Cotillard walking her rival around the ring throwing methodical punches and avoiding any laces in return. The model is either the most composed fighter ever to come from Sardinia or she has a devilish plan up her sleeveless outfit. After three it's all Cotillard.

Round 4:
Coach Sophie Marceau urges Marion to show more venom and really hurt the Italian girl and that's been the biggest problem in Cotillard's attire so far as too many people consider her to be a sweet and innocent boxer who wilts under heavy leather and is unable to hit back with similar power herself. Canalis hangs back in mid-range again but Marion ups the feet tempo and cracks a solid jabbing combo to the ribs, flicks an uppercut against the gloves and finally catches the model with a left hook on the temple. Elisabetta stands tall though and surprises the Oscar girl who clearly expected her to step away but there's a big right hook on the cheek giving Cotillard a wake-up call and Canalis pours in with shots to the body as she breaks through the arms and bounces off the jugs and Marion clinches her in response. Canalis looks ready to finally switch the power supply and she throws a chaotic flurry of shots at her rival and Cotillard circles back just staring at her rival but her footwork enables her to step away from some menacing hooks albeit that's the first time she fails to dominate the Italian and settles for another clinch late on to see out the round.

Round 5:
Elisabetta arrives with another flurry of shots as she cuts underneath Marion's initial swing and nails her on the ribs, uppercuts the chest thereafter and Cotillard is forced to settle for a clinch. Quick jabs from Canalis clean out the French girl's midsection before ref separates the fighters but there's a visible change of scenery as the model ups the work rate and throws a series of shots from mid-range which Marion avoids thanks to her footwork. She circles back along the ropes but lacks agressive approach and allows Canalis to seize her up for a vicious combo. First try... no good, Elisabetta crashes off ther guard going high and Marion misses a hook to the temple herself. Brief ducking and weaving... second try... no good... Canalis spikes the elbows and leans forward, allowing Cotillard to land a right hand on the mouth and the model steps back as Marion works the single hand and pushes her back to center of the ring and circles back again to run down the clock. This is getting very interesting all of the sudden as the lack of venom and inflicted damage might hurt the French actress on the long haul if she allows her opponent to swing more of her shots in later rounds.

Round 6:
Canalis comes out with a spark in her eye but Cotillard lashes out at her after receiving some advice from coach Marceau. She misses a right hook and skims off the arms with a low left follow up though and the model slices her with a left hook herself, snaps her head back and buries a solid gutwrencher right on the navel. More uppercuts from the Italian follow and Marion covers up but leans forward and allows Elisabetta to land some crushing shots to the head; the guard holds up for a while but then the French brunette gets laced with another hook on the mouth and finally steps back. Quick leap from Canalis, she whips couple of straight jabs on the eye and Cotillard is pushed to the ropes, dekes to the side and avoids another flying hook as the model bounces off the ropes and jumps for another try. Marion answers back from the side, rocks Elisabetta with a left hook on the nose and a right follow up on the mouth and Canalis sinks on the ropes, getting laced clean with that double! Marion pours in with some body shots, bends her foe forward and uppercuts to the chin and the Italian's head snaps back couple of times before she can cover up. Vicious low jabs to the midsection follow though as Marion wants to make the most of this position. She buries Canalis under a barrage of shots but lacks precision and the Italian brunette hangs on despite taking loads of leather around the elbows and a huge shot on the navel just before the bell. This fight has seemingly finally come alive and Cotillard secured the first vicious exchange in her favor.

Round 7:
Elisabetta's visibly upset by the previous rounds and she's after the French girl from the start while Marion has no intention of holding back anymore herself. Both women trade punches in the middle of the ring before Canalis ducks low and whips a left hook on the liver followed by a quick snapshot to the jugs. Marion straight jabs in response, catches the model on the mouth but misses another follow up and allows Elisabetta to send a series to the ribcage and a quick left hook on the eye rocks her on her feet and forces to step back. Canalis with another hook over the top, cleans Cotillard on the eye and a right hand on the chin spins the French girl to the ropes! Get ready for some Italian rage as Canalis traps the briefly stunned Oscar winner at the ropes and unloads a sequence to the body. Cotillard covers up high but gets laced repeatedly around the elbows and struggles to weave away from danger. Canalis leans on her and sends vicious low jabs, flicks another left on the eye and that's inflicted a cut on Marion's face as she bends to the side, tries to prevent her rival from landing more shots on the face. Elisabetta whips jabs to the ribs though and as Marion tries to wrap her arms around her waist, laces her to the kidneys just before the bell and Cotillard yelps in pain after that but ref saw nothing wrong there and Sophie Marceau's angry screams from the Latin Union corner fall on deaf ears.

Round 8:
More attacks from the Italian brunette who probably realizes she's behind on points and she works the single hand over the top, trying to further damage Cottilard's eye. Marion seems affected by the late barrage she experienced in the seventh and hangs back in mid-distance for a while but she can't use her footwork anymore to her advantage as she did earlier and Canalis closes her down easily, whips the single hand to the limit and snaps Marion's head back couple of times before slicing under the elbow and punishing the liver area. Marion struggles to break free, allows the model to back her against the ropes where she circles around but is destined to take more leather as Elisabetta swings more menacing hooks and seems in better physical shape. Cotillard looks tired, gets trapped in the corner with one minute remaining and couple of big hooks over the top land on the left eye and that cut just got opened for good as Marion covers up but it's too late and the model's single shots to the head keep her pinned on the ropes for remainder of the round. At the bell Elisabetta spits out her mouthpiece and just stares at her rival while Marion walks slowly back to her corner and coach Marceau shakes her head before glancing over at the Italian brunette and there's bad news for the French camp as Elisabetta looks much fresher, slices her throat with a telling gesture and the Canalis comeback is definitely on the cards with two rounds remaining!

Round 9:
Extended work has been done on the cut under Marion's right eye but the Oscar winner is thrown out of her mental comfort zone apart from being plain tired already as well. No such issues for Canalis who sqaures up to the French girl and whips more straight jabs over the top while Cotillard's response is weak and mistimed; she cuts the air with chaotic swings, gets laced on the body in response and Elisabetta pours in with more hooks to the ribcage, pushes the cumbersome opponent to the ropes and Marion just can't get away from her anymore, takes more shots to the body before Canalis cross-hooks her mitts and lands a left/right combo on the mouth and Cotillard just sinks on her knees, covers up but that hardly helps her now as Elisabetta shatters her guard with more straight jabs and reaches for the eye, spikes her on the mouth too and unloads more blows on the ribs. Marion tries to force a clinch but gets whacked on the navel, bends forward and rides her luck as Canalis misses a put away shot to the nose, skims off the top of her head and allows Marion to secure the much-needed clinch. Ref turns the blind eye, obviously happy to see both women wrestle in the final minute but that only fuels Elisabetta's anger who trips the French brunette to the floor with few seconds left and Marion takes her time before getting up, happy to round the clock down. Ref shakes his head over the model's protests but the bell sounds with Cotillard still taking a knee and there's nothing the vivacious Italian can do about that.

Round 10:
Worried expression on Sophie Marceau's face as another bad round could prevent her protegee from winning this at one stage seemingly safe contest. Marion looks as she wants this one to finish as quickly as possible regardless of the result and gets another mouthful of leather early in the tenth with Elisabetta now breaking through her mitts at will, snapping her head back and working on the cut under the eye again. Marion staggered in the middle of the ring, covers up but leaves her midsection exposed instead and the model whacks her several times meeting no response. Cottilard wilts big time here and allthough she catches a break when Canalis misses couple of shots to the temple, she follows up with a gutwrencher between the arms and forces the French brunette to moan in pain and bend forward. Left hand over the top rocks Cotillard on her feet again and a cross-hooking combo spins her back to the ropes. Marion sags in agony but gets laced to the body, Canalis' on a mission to finish her off and showing no mercy whatsoever! Wild slaps to the body bury the Latin Union girl firmly on the ropes and she doesn't even throw a punch in response now, just takes a pasting on the ropes as Elisabetta wants to thump her flat on the ground. Ref with a big smile on his face but refuses to step in, seemingly happy to see two brunettes punching the daylights out of each other or rather to see one fiery Italian hurting her French opponent beyond the limits. Two full minutes of relentless body punching finally relieves Cotillard of her resilience and she SLIDES DOWN ON HER BACKSIDE with few seconds remaining!!! Canalis thinks she's done it as Marion's head slumps down on her shoulders, but the count never happens as the bell goes off to finish this gruesome bout first! Ref never stopped the fight as well and this will go to the scorecards after all!!!

After ten rounds of boxing we go to the scorecards. Judges score the bout 97-95, 97-95 and 97-94 all for your winner through unanimous decision... ELISABETTA CANALIS!!!

Post-fight:
The raging Italian with a primal scream of joy as she completes her comeback and takes the win on points! We might see that white outfit again soon as the crowd applauds her efforts in a higher tune than before the fight. Elisabetta looked out of her depth early and barely threatened the French rival before unleashing some vicious Italian power late on and taking full advantage of Cotillard's fitness issues and the fact she simply failed to take her chances at the start of the fight.

Indeed there's a very grim atmosphere in the Latin Union corner as Marion receives an ice-pack to nurse the cut under her eye but that was a golden chance wasted by the French brunette. She led on points early but should have really put more damage on Canalis to prevent a late comeback from the Italian model. Cotillard still looks very hittable in clutch situations and failed to prevent Canalis from punching her at will in the last four rounds. Sixth round proved pivotal too as Marion won the vicious exchange there and looked set to break Elisabetta's spirit before letting her back in after that. That's a tough loss for the French woman and after winning against Jennifer Metcalfe on her debut, she's suffered her third consecutive BBU defeat to go along with the Asylum fiasco.

Final result: Elisabetta Canalis def. Marion Cotillard UD10.